Saturday 26 / April / 2025
Muscat: Passengers travelling from Oman to India are required to present a number of documents at airports in Oman before they will be allowed to board the flight to their destination, including a self-declaration form, a negative PCR test report or proof of being fully vaccinated, and an undertaking to India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation that they will follow COVID-19 regulations on arrival.
The new guidelines come into effect on Monday, 14 February, following the Indian government’s decision to scrap mandatory PCR tests for all arriving passengers.
A circular issued by India’s flag carrier Air India provided in detail the protocols passengers must follow when they plan their journey.
All passengers are required to “submit complete and factual information in the self-declaration form (SDF) on the online Air Suvidha Portal before their scheduled travel,” including travel details for the last 14 days, said the circular.
They are also required to “upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report in the Air Suvidha Portal.
This test should have been conducted 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey.”
Alternatively, passengers can upload a certificate of completion of a full primary vaccination schedule of COVID-19.
“There are countries which have agreements with India on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates of nationally recognised or WHO-recognised vaccines,” said the circular. “Similarly, there are countries which presently do not have such an agreement with India, but they exempt Indian citizens fully vaccinated with nationally recognised or WHO recognised vaccines.
“On the basis of reciprocity, travellers from only such countries that provide quarantine-free entry to Indias will be allowed for relaxation under the certificate of completion of a full primary vaccination schedule,” it added.
Travellers from such countries will only be allowed to enter, based on the vaccination certificates uploaded to the Air Suvidha Portal.
Passengers shall also submit a declaration which states their submissions are authentic. Those who submit forged documents will be subject to criminal prosecution.
Those who do intend to travel must carry two physical printouts of their self-declaration forms and negative PCR test reports or vaccine certificates. These must be presented at the time of check-in at their airport of departure.
“All passengers should also give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, that they would abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority to undergo home quarantine/self-health monitoring, as warranted,” said the circular.
There is another step that passengers travelling to Tamil Nadu and/or Kerala need to take. Passengers heading to Tamil Nadu must carry an auto-generated e-pass that can be procured at www.tnepass.tneag.org
Similarly, those headed to Kerala need to sign up on the COVID-19 Jagratha Portal before commencing their journey, on www.covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in.
Oman is one of 82 countries whose vaccinations are recognised by India. Other countries on the list include Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Iran, New Zealand, Portugal, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, the UK and the US.
